This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present invention that are described or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Businesses are increasingly relying on information technology (IT) systems to gain a competitive advantage, such as by improving efficiency, profitability, and the like. With this technological proliferation, IT infrastructures are increasing in complexity. Consequently, the management of such IT infrastructures is becoming more difficult and, ultimately, more expensive for businesses to address themselves. Accordingly, some companies seek to reduce costs of IT infrastructure management by engaging specialized service providers with the experience and resources to more effectively manage IT infrastructures. In general, businesses choose to outsource because it lets them explicitly control how much they spend on IT, because the outsourcing providers give them cost savings won through economies of scale, and because the businesses are then free to focus on their own core competencies.
For these specialized service providers, management of a customer's IT infrastructure typically includes managing both technical components and business aspects relating to the infrastructure. For example, companies contract with independent service providers to perform logistical support services, such as management of their IT facilities. Further, specialized service providers can also be retained to provide a myriad of other IT services, such as creating and managing a customer call center, providing desktop personal computer support, or the like. Such outsourced services are referred to as managed services.
Many challenges exist in providing managed services and efficiently managing the technical and business aspects of a customer's IT infrastructure. In order to address each customer's unique needs, the business service provider must essentially repeat the service design process with every customer engagement. This is a tremendously complex and expensive undertaking requiring the management of an overwhelming number of components, dependencies, and other relationships. The diversity of customer requirements and the complexity of the solution space results in the customization of every solution and hinders continuity and automation, making the design process inefficient, labor-intensive, and time-consuming. In particular, one of the most difficult parts of solution design is how to coordinate the information flow between the people, teams, and regions involved in selling, designing, and implementing an IT solution for a customer.